Brush.



R. D. LEARY.

, sausn. APPLICATlON FILED JUNE 29. I911- Patenmd Dec. 19, 1916.

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. BRUSH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1916.

Application filed June 29, 1911. Serial No. 636,065.

To all whom it may concern Be it knownthat I, ROBERT D. LEARY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county ,of Worcester and Commonwealth'of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Brushes, of which the following is a specification accompanied by drawings forming a part of the same.

My invention relates to improvements in" brushes and particularly to tooth brushes, flesh brushes and hair brushes, and it has for its objects to produce a construction which can be readily main tained in a sanitary condition.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated my invention as applied tooth brush. According to my invention the to a' brush of simple brush comprises a metallic head closely fitting the metallic back, preferably integral with the handle and hermetically sealed by thereby rendering the being kept aseptic any of the means of an amalgam, entire brush capable of by the use of boiling water, or antiseptics-in common to the brush.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a view of the under or bristle side of the brush showing my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of Fig. 2 on the broken line 3-3. Fig. i is a perspective view of the brush with the brush head removed. Fig. 5 is a side view of the brush head.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in the different figures.

As shown in the drawings, my invention consists of two principal parts, first, a metallic back 1 which may be of any convenient shape, having a handle 2 at one end preferably integral therewith, and second a head 3 in which the bristles are held. The back is provided in the present instance with a. beveled flange 4 integral with said back and extending around the sides and end, forming a recess 5 open at one end to allow the insertion of the metallic head 3. The

.-metal used in the construction of the back 1 and head 3 is preferably an alloy of alumi num,zinc and copper, although I do not confine myself to these metals.

holds the bristles "6 which are drawn into grooves 7 and is designed to closely fit the recess 5 so that its sides form a dovetailed joint with the flange 4.

use, without inj ury' The head 3 The head 3 is heldin the recess 5 and hermetically sealed therein may by means of a suitable amalgam, preferably one consisting of about sixty-five per cent. of silver, twenty per cent. of tin, ten per ,cent. of zinc and five per cent. of copper,

with sufiicient mercury added to give said amalgam the required consistency. The amalgam closes and seals all the joints and fills all crevices includingthe grooves 7 in the head 3.

In applying the head 3 it is pressed into the recess 5 which has previously been coated with amalgam, causing the excess of amalgam to be squeezed out. The fit of the head 3 within the recess 5 is sufliciently snug to enable the undercut walls of said recess to exert considerable downward pressure on said head. The remaining amalgam forms a tight and hermetically sealed joint which be subjected to a bath of boiling water, steam' or other process, .-without injury, thereby enabling the entire brush to be maintained in a sanitary condition. If desired, other attaching means may be employed for uniting the head and back together, such as rivets or screws 8, shown in'Fig. 3. The rivets or screws 8 may be used to the exclusion of the dovetailed flange 4, and the joint between the head and back hermetically sealed by the amalgam, as already described, to prevent the access of foreign substances.

I do not confine myself to the specific alloy named for the back and head, or to the specific amalgam named. Such metal and such amalgam should be used as will cause a union of the head and back by the action thereon of the amalgam used.

I am aware that metallic backs and heads have been used in the manufacture of brushes, but heretofore these metallic heads have been removably secured to the backs by various forms of catches, and by recesses formed in one part of the brush so as to receive and retain projections formed upon the other part of the brush. This construction is objectionable and unsanitary for the reason that the joint between the two parts of the brush soon becomes contaminated with foreign matter. In a brush constructed in accordance with my invention, however, the

amalgam used in uniting the two parts of g'am, may be used in the alloy; and I also prefer to employ some metal, such as copper, which is adapted to impart strength and hardness to the aluminum. In the composition of the amalgam, any metal which ama lgamates readily, such as tin or zinc, may be employed, together with other metals such as copper and silver, which give to the amalgam the same color as the alloy used.

I claim,

1. In a brush, a metallic back, a metallic bristle plate for attachment to said back, each of said parts being composed of an alloy containing a metal which amalgamates readily with mercury, and an amalgam uniting the joint between said back and bristle plate.

2. In a brush, a metallic back, a metallic bristle plate having an interlocking sliding engagement with said back, each of said parts containing a metal Which amalgamates readily With mercury, and an amalgam interposed between the contiguous surfaces of said back and bristle plate.

3. A structure comprising interlocking metallic parts, each composed of an alloy containing a metal which amalgamates readily with mercury, and an amalgam'int erposed between the contiguous surfaces of said parts, and uniting said parts at atmospheric temperature.

4. A structure comprising separate metallic members, adapted to have opposing surfaces thereof united, each having in its composition a metal which amalgamates readily with mercury, and an amalgam interposed between said opposing surfaces, and uniting said parts at atmospheric temperature.

ROBERT D. LEARY.

Witnesses:

PENELOPE CoMBERBAoH, NELLIE WHALEN. 

